Page 22 of Steeling Her
I catch the ball he throws back at me and side step pretending, I have people running at me. I throw it back and nail the spiral heading towards him. “Nice ball, Jackson!” he compliments me when he catches it with ease. We continue to do this for another ten or so minutes while we wait for the time to count down for kick off. I’m done with my warm up, and I see TJ jogging over to me with a beaming smile.
“Haley’s here, and so is Danielle.” He doesn’t mentionher, so I look down and check the back of my studs. I look over my shoulder to see Haley sitting in the second row with Danielle, so we wave over to them. They wave back to us with grins on their faces.
“Cheer up, man! There are other girls here to watch you.” His head bobs back into the stands, and I see Maya sitting with her friends down the line from my sister. She starts waving at me while sucking on a lollipop. I send her a nod in acknowledgement. I face TJ, and he’s smirking at me again.
“Fuck off, TJ,” I grit out and we all walk inside with him laughing beside me. He always winds me up. Successfully too. He knows what buttons to push to piss me off.
Once we get to the locker room, I sit over to where my training bag is and wait for the rest to follow suit. We all have to listen to Coach’s speech. I hear my phone buzz in the bottom of my bag and I fish it out with my free hand while the other holds a bottle of Gatorade.
Maya: Good luck tonight babe! I’ll be cheering for you????xx
I ignore it and put it back inside my bag with force. The game is my main focus for tonight. I have to pump myself up for tonight.
Focus on the game, Nick.
After Coach’s speech, we all run back out through the tunnel and we get a cheer from the crowd. I look around to see Haley and Danielle standing and clapping for us. I smile at them and place my helmet on my head and ready myself for what’s about to come.
Auburn. It’s Friday night and we’re playing against a solid team. We beat them last year but only by a three point lead. It was a tough game with tough players. I remember their cheerleaders mainly. I remember me and the guys staring at them while they did their routine for their team then watching ours.
“If they don’t get you pumped up, then I don’t know what will!” Rob jokingly nudges me and TJ. TJ just laughs at him as a reply while I just stare at them for a second, then move my eyes to the stand, and see the empty seats next to my sister. I’m not wishing my family was here, but her.
Feeling the slaps of the guys telling me it’s time to lead the team, we run out between our cheerleaders and I look straight ahead of me. I just can’t look at anyone. I need to stay in the zone.
Once the game starts, I forget about the people in the stand and focus on leading this team to our first victory of the season. We often play well at the beginning, but start to slip a little before halftime. I see a few heads drop, including Rob’s and Reggie’s.
I grab on to their helmets and make them look at me. I tell them, “Don’t you guys dare drop your heads! DO YOU HEAR ME?” I slap their helmets once more while they nod and bump helmets with each other. Keeping us in the game, Reggie gets a touchdown thirty seconds before the whistle blows. Calling it in, we’re seven points ahead with 14–7. It’s still a close game despite the lead.
Once the game was over, we had won by five points, 25–20, with TJ getting the final touchdown. We hugged each other, and I couldn’t be happier for my best friend. He was grinning from ear to ear. We shake the other players’ hands before I walk over to where Haley and Danielle are. I see them smiling at me.
“You played so good, Nick! And TJ, your touchdown was amazing!” I didn’t realize TJ followed me. I see him smiling up at the girls.
“Thanks Haley! I didn’t think I’d make it.” He exhales deeply, allowing his hair to fly up a little. I laugh at his facial expression because I didn’t think he’d make it either. He cleared the guy who was on his tail and leaped across the line.
“Carter said to tell you guys you both played amazing!” My eyes snap back over to my sister again after hearing her name. It hit a nerve in my body when I heard her say Carter.
“She was watching? Where?” TJ asks after a few moments. I couldn’t form a sentence. She was watching? I see Haley’s head nod up and down, looking at her phone. I see the message she wrote on the screen.
“She’s watching you both on TV. She’s doing an assignment at the moment, but she messaged our group to tell you that!”
I need to get into a group chat with her. I feel a smile grow on my face as I look at the two girls. Haley is smiling back, oblivious to my thoughts, but Danielle is smirking at me. I raise an eyebrow at her, and her smirk looks like something TJ is wearing right now. I roll my eyes at the both of them and we all chat a little longer until we get interrupted by a high-pitched voice that now irritates the hell out of me.
“Nick! Babe! You were amazing!” Maya squeals behind my sister, who sighs just from hearing her voice. She shuts her eyes, trying to block her out. I thank Maya, trying to get her to leave, but she doesn’t pick up on the hint. “Are you coming to the pool party at the house tonight?” I nod along with TJ.
“Perfect! You can stay with me later if you want? I’ll see you guys then! Bye, babe!” She waves off, eventually leaving us alone. TJ and I head into the locker room for showers while the girls wait for us so we can head to the party together.
I put my shirt over my head, ignoring TJ’s teasing. He’s been doing it since we walked into the showers. “Dude! You should’ve seen your face!” He pinches my cheek.
I swat his hand away. “Shut up, TJ! You’re such a drama queen!” I zip up my bag and stand at the door, waiting for him to join me.
We both walk back out to the open air out of the stadium and we see Haley and Danielle laughing at their screens. As soon as we approach them, Haley turns around and scowls at us. Both our eyes widen at her sudden change in mood.
“Woah! What’s that look for?” TJ asks with his hands up in surrender. We’re both scared at what is going to come flying out of her mouth. This is not going to be good.
“You!” She points at TJ. “Did you ask Carter if she was pregnant?” She pushes his chest, making him step back a little.
“Oh shit . . .” TJ curses under his breath at my sister.
“ ‘Oh shit ’ is right! What the hell is wrong with you, TJ! You basically called her fat! Never comment on a girls weight or ask if she’s pregnant!” She waves her hands up in the air in TJ’s face.
